Nov. 4, 2007 • Knoxville, Tenn.

USA Head Coach Anne Donovan
On today's game:
We expected this to be very competitive as was the case at Connecticut and Maryland. There was lots of good pressure by them and it was a great game for us in terms of having to get our composure at the end of the game and finish a game off. They really challenged us down the stretch. You expect nothing less from Tennessee, they gave us a great ball game from start to finish.

I was really pleased with the technical effort today. It was great to them get really good win against another great team. I like that we were challenged down the stretch. Tennessee came back aggressively and I like how much composure and confidence we showed down the stretch. I'm really pleased with where we are. We're a work in progress as you can see we've been together less than a week now. Lisa Leslie gets better every possession, not just every game, but every possession. With every opportunity for our program and our coaches to merge and get better and develop that chemistry, we're going to be better for it in Beijing. That's what this tour is all about, just to get more cohesive and have opportunities against great competition.

On Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker as teammates on the USA National Team:
What a great game it was from a post standpoint, just that match-up. So yes, to think about them playing side by side is very exciting for this National Team.

All the teams the USA has put together for training this past year have started off a little slow and then progressed quickly. Are you seeing that with this collection of players?
It's nice to see Lisa come together offensively. I think she's really starting to get back into her groove. I thought we had moments today where we played well together and then we had moments where we broke down. Again, I think it's a great test for us in stressful situations to see how we respond. More often than not we responded well. But there were several occasions where we didn't pull together as a team every minute and we have to keep focusing on that.

Seimone Augustus, Minnesota Lynx
On the play of Lisa Leslie today:
I haven't been through a pregnancy but to see Lisa [Leslie] come back and be in that great of shape and form, to be able to come back and do what she's done, it's amazing. She did a wonderful job today of putting some pressure on Tennessee's defense.

Kara Lawson, Sacramento Monarchs
On the return to the University of Tennessee:
I'm excited to play here. It's been a good college tour so far and we had a good challenge today. Tennessee played very well and forced us to really execute in the second half and get the win. It was a good win for us and we're excited to just continue with the tour.

How did Tennessee compare to Connecticut and Maryland?
All the teams we played were very, very good. It's kind of hard to really judge Maryland because they didn't have (Crystal) Langhorne, probably their best player. But Tennessee compared pretty favorably [to the other teams on the tour]. Their pressure defense… I think Bobbitt did a tremendous job of getting after our point guards. Having Candace [Parker] is the one difference with Tennessee is having a player of her caliber. That's something that the other schools that we've played, don't have.

On the play of Tennessee's freshmen:
(Angie) Bjorklund's a nice player. She's got good composure. You can tell that she knows how to play the game. She doesn't seem rushed when teams are going pretty fast out there. I was definitely impressed with the freshmen. Freshmen for Tennessee are going to have to play a big role this year if they're going to repeat. They need them for their depth.

Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles Sparks
On today's game:
Physically, that's my goal. I want to try to get better and better each game and tonight was a good challenge because they have big posts, they run the floor well, Candace plays out on the perimeter. I just took the challenge to work hard and get after it more defensively.

This is the first time you've been on the court with Candace Parker, what are your thoughts on her as a player?
I think she's a very good player. Obviously the offense goes through her. I think she was a little nervous in the beginning, but she played through it and did a great job.

What will it be like when you are both playing for the USA team?
Man, we're going to be nice together! On the USA team, maybe on the Sparks, who knows? She's a great player and I'm looking forward to playing with her.

Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury
Is there something about the orange that turns your shooting on?
We actually miss the orange seats. As the visitors, if you find something that's annoying, you'd think the home team would want to stick with that. The arena looks great. It looks like an NBA arena out there with the seats and the boxes. I don't see why Knoxville wouldn't be the next franchise for the WNBA.

On the play of Candace Parker:
I told Candace, I'd rather play with her than against her. She's just a heck of a player. In the second half, she really showed why hands down she's the best player in college. It doesn't matter what level you're playing in, whether its college or professional, she's one of the top players in the world and she shows it every night.

What do you think the difference was with Candace Parker from first to second half?
Sometimes, being Candace, people think that you're going to get 30 each half. But sometimes you just have to feel your way out and I think that's what she was doing in the first half. Other people were playing well, Bjorklund was taking shots, Hornbuckle and Bobbitt were playing well. She did a good job getting them the ball. In the second half, I think she felt a little more comfortable and it showed. She looked great.

You're three years out of college, how has your game changed?
You improve physically, you get into better shape. You learn the game a little better. Mentally, though, you change, you mature. In situations like this you don't get as rattled. I think that probably the biggest thing is mentally you learn the game a little better.

UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE
Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt
On today's game:
We obviously competed. I told our team that we didn't bring the National Team in just to compete with them, though. We wanted to beat them. We had a great run in the second half. We've got to start with better defense. Our board play has got to pick up. We were talking about that a year ago, and we're talking about that now in the first exhibition game. Obviously, that will be a point of emphasis. The freshmen had a good experience. Vicki Baugh did a good job. Angie (Bjorklund) and Sydney (Smallbone) did a good job once they got their composure. Angie did well once she got over her stage fright. Kelley Cain didn't play as much because she hasn't had as many repetitions, but she'll play more on Tuesday (against Carson-Newman). This team has a chance to be special, but they have to be better on defense and on board play. Right now, they're far from that."

On Diana Taurasi and how she's changed as a player since college:
She's a more physical player. She's a stronger player and a more complete player. She's a better defender now.

On the USA National Team overall:
With Lisa (Leslie) coming back, it makes a difference. Sue (Bird) and Diana (Taurasi) did a great job, and obviously Seimone (Augustus). Kara (Lawson) contributed in a special way with her leadership. She handles her role well. She doesn't start for Sacramento (Monarchs), and she doesn't start for this team, but she's very valuable.

On the difference of play in the first and second half for Candace Parker:
In the first half, they covered her with one-and-a half and sometimes two players. We moved her to the 3 (small forward) some in the second half, and she worked the high post. She got more touches. I told Shannon (Bobbitt) that we'll talk about that.

On the performance of Alexis Hornbuckle:
I thought she was solid. She comes to play both ends of the court. She never gives up. She's a hustle player. She was an influence on both ends of the court. I think she's one of the most athletic guards in the country.

On rebounding:
I was disappointed in our rebounding and our lack of physical play. At times, our posts looked like all finesse. I expect more from Nicky (Anosike), Alex (Fuller), and Candace (Parker). Our post game and rebounding has got to get better.

On Sydney Smallbone:
I was pleased with Sydney. She knows why she got recruited to Tennessee, and it's not because of her defense. She and Angie (Bjorklund) will be solid defenders, though. They've got to guard. They'll make their shots.

On facing a team with the USA National Team's size:
Obviously, their size to defend in the post was a factor. My take, and this may change after watching the tape, was we really didn't seal in the post. We've got to bury people in the post. Dean (assistant coach Lockwood) works with them every day on that. We've got to carry that commitment every game. Vicki Baugh just needs repetitions. Kelley Cain was not ready, but that's just a matter of time. Size should be an advantage for us.

ANGIE BJORKLUND
On her first game at Tennessee:
I didn't know what to expect. The fans were awesome. From the start, everything was different. The tempo is so much faster than high school. Everything is a step up. Everything was new. Now that I know what I'm doing, it will be a lot better on Tuesday.

On Alexis Hornbuckle:
Ever since I first watched her, I've been impressed with how physical she is on defense, especially on the boards. She's tough to play against. I'm just glad she's on my team.

ALEXIS HORNBUCKLE
On Tennessee's start:
Obviously, we came out slow and confused. We weren't on the same page, but we stepped up. I was proud of our effort today.

On Angie Bjorklund:
She came in and hit some open shots. She did a great job. That's hard to do as a freshman. The freshmen had a lot thrown at them. Angie was a freshman starter. It was her first game-the crowd, the USA. Once she focused, she got it together. It was overwhelming at the beginning.

On the USA National Team's size:
They've got some big girls-not in a bad way. They're bigger than we're used to seeing. I saw and Candace (Parker) saw the physicality of the National Team's play this summer. We'll prepare for that. We had a lack of box-outs. I thought we did a decent job. They had some big bodies out there. At times, it was like we were little kids, but we'll get better.

CANDACE PARKER
On the difference in her performance in the first and second half:
It was just me. I wasn't demanding the ball. We made adjustments at halftime. That helped get Alexis (Hornbuckle) and Angie (Bjorklund) open. When everybody is doing their part, that will open things up for everybody else.

On facing her summer teammates from the USA National Team:
They were talking noise. It was cool. I have the utmost respect for them and how they represent our country. Lisa Leslie is a competitor. I hadn't played with her or against her before. She's an Olympian. I've watched her since I was 10 or 11. I respect her a lot.

On Lisa Leslie coming back from having a baby:
Women are amazing. To do that is amazing. I know some athletes who come back even better. That speaks to what women are about.

On whether this game amounts to moral victory:
I don't like to lose. It was not a moral victory. We lost. I'm proud how we battled. Where we were with three minutes to go is a testament to how hard we played. We'll go back to the drawing board. There were some possessions that we messed up. It could easily have been a different story.

On the 2008 Olympics:
Obviously, that's not on my mind right now. It's something that I've dreamed of. Representing our country would be an honor. Right now, though, I'm thinking about Carson-Newman on Tuesday and practice tomorrow. We're just taking one day at a time. That's what helped us win a national championship last year.

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